Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice or Puppy Dog Tails?

The Lord sure is interesting. When I found out that this devotional which I wrote back in May was running today, my son’s 18th birthday, I thought it couldn’t be coincidental. With the devotional being on “forming” our children, I have had to come to the place this past month where I recognize that my time for doing that for my son is over. It is a very strange place to be, because I see the “pillar” of my son and see the work that still needs to be done. Now it is time, more than ever before, to turn the rest of this work over to the Lord, utterly and completely.

I have had such a hard time. I knew this time would come, but I had thought there would be some time of monumental event. He would graduate from high school. He would go to college. He would get married. But instead, the monumental time has been a whisper in my ear, “Let go. You are done.” Some tears have fallen; but I have a hope that the Lord will complete what He began, even if it is not the way I would have chosen.

Yesterday in church as I was praising the Lord, I thought about my story and all that the Lord has done for me. And then I thought about my son’s story. Just as I had to partner with Jesus to write mine, so my son needs to surrender and decision to partner with Him to write His own.

If any of you have any advice to share with me and others on just how to walk all of this out practically, I would love to gleen from your wisdom. And I ask, that as you finish this post, that you would say a prayer for my son that He will follow hard after His maker.

Comments

Dear Lynn.Two scriptures tjat habe helped meare Isaih 54:13 Your children shall be taught of the Lord and great shallbe their peace andPhilippians 1:6 He who began a good work in you will be able to complete it/My children are in their late twenties and thirties. I've had various aha moments when they've shared how something has drawn them closer in their relation- ship mwith their Lord.

I read your writings. Today, I read about your son. We failed so much I can give you some tips based on that. Raise them up in the way they should go. We did that…we thought but it didn't look like it so much more often that it did.

What broke our hearts is when we realized our little we valued them. Others seemed to think they had lots to offer. Others saw uniqueness that we sure didn't see. Why did we treat others with more respect than we did our own children.

Finally, and it wasn't a fast process,WE broke and cried to God to deliver us from our own judgement of them. They were adults when we came to this end. He forgave us and we have worked at just letting HIM do what He alone has the power to do.

We still talk of our failures even though they try and cover it with compliments. We know the truth.

God has done for our daughters, inspite of us, more than we could ask or think. It's not over…but our job of raising is. Funny how we parents keep trying to prove we're the parents clear into their adulthood. I know that's our story.

Why is it when they are little, we are sometimes wishing for these milestones to come, but then, standing at the threshold, I want to slow down time. I want to keep my son home a little longer. He still seems so young. Prayer is the number one key. Must keep praying and trusting him in the Lord's hands. So hard to let go. Oh, I need to cherish every moment in this next year. Thanks for this reminder.